Wildlife creates serious power disruptions when they short circuit high voltage power equipment, such as electrical switches, bus insulators and bushings. The damage usually disables the distribution and substation equipment used to supply electrical energy to communities. Solutions to prevent animals from approaching power equipment, such as the use of chemical pesticides, are expensive, not environmentally friendly, and must be repeatedly applied.
The high voltage electrical connectors and insulators typically use dielectric elements, which require monitoring to ascertain if they are properly functioning and the extent to which they may require maintenance. For example, a temperature reading of a bushing may anticipate electrical problems, such that a reading more than 5 degrees F. above the specified operating temperature of the equipment may indicate a loose connection, corroded, overloaded or unbalanced, requiring maintenance. In some cases, the oil levels that serve as insulators or coolants may be observed, and a low reading often requires maintenance as well. In both instances these observations necessitate the removal of any protective physical barriers or covers, which is time consuming and expensive.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,005,196 describes a cover for electrical bushings, but is opaque and must be removed to determine temperature or when maintenance is required.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,794,495 is a guard that allows infrared temperature readings, but creates an open configuration which is still accessible to wildlife.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,486,785 describes a barrier for electrical bushings, that allows a remotely determined temperature of the bushing, connector and electrical lead line, within an enclosure. The enclosure has two segmented halves hinged together along a rear vertical hinge line and locked together by a front latch. The generally cylindrical body has multiple closely spaced apart openings with an opening diameter of less than an inch. None of the prior art permits a maintenance person to inspect the entirety of the electrical bushings without either a removal of the barrier or cover or having to inspect the components through an opening in the cover itself.
What is needed is a cost-effective solution that allows maintenance inspections on electrical switches, bus insulators and bushings that are used for power distribution systems supplying electrical energy to communities, without removing the covers, also referred to as covers, or without having a cover with an opening to the outside, which allows for the penetration of water, as well as the environmental effects of such things as mold, combined with an enclosure that protects switches, bus insulators and bushings from wildlife.